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Assistance for Professional or Educational Development

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As a benefits-eligible MSU employee, you have access to a variety of unique benefits and resources to help you and your family succeed, including Educational Assistance and Course Fee Courtesy. These benefits offer financial assistance toward your professional development or the educational development of your spouse and/or dependents after you’ve worked at MSU for a certain amount of time.

MSU HR receives a lot of questions about the differences between Educational Assistance and Course Fee Courtesy. We hope this article will help clarify the differences between the two benefits and encourage you to take advantage of them.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

Who’s eligible to receive this benefit?
The Educational Assistance benefit is available to MSU support staff after working at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you work less than full-time, the benefit is pro-rated based on your employment percentage.

Note: A similar program, The Professional Development Support Program, is available for Academic Specialists. 

What does the benefit include?
You may receive financial assistance for both credit and non-credit courses, which may include trainings, seminars, workshops, conferences or other educational opportunities. Use this benefit to enhance your professional skillset or help you reach Performance Excellence goals.

For non-credit courses, like professional development courses available through HR, support staff employees have up to $800 per year to use towards course registration fees. This money does not roll over to the next year, so be sure to take advantage of this benefit every academic year. The course must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to receive assistance.

For credit courses, you can receive up to 14 credits per academic year. Your financial assistance level is determined by your union group, the type of course you’re taking (graduate or undergraduate), and where you’re taking the course (MSU or another university). The course must be considered job-related, degree-related, or career/professional development-related.

MORE INFO: Find detailed information about Educational Assistance – including how to apply – on the HR website.

COURSE FEE COURTESY

Who’s eligible to receive this benefit?
The Course Fee Courtesy benefit is available to your dependents or spouse. Regular support staff become eligible for this benefit after the equivalent of 60 full-time service months, which is equal to working at MSU full-time for 5 years. Faculty and academic staff become eligible based on their appointment; fixed-term faculty/academic staff are eligible after 60 full-time service months; continuing/tenure employees are automatically eligible; full-time Health Programs (HP) faculty become eligible upon the commencement of the first additional HP appointment.

What does it include?
This includes a Michigan resident undergraduate tuition rate reduction of 50% for your dependent(s) and/or spouse who attend MSU. So, if you have children and/or a spouse who are planning on attending MSU, you could save 50% off their undergraduate tuition rate. This benefit is only valid for a student’s first bachelor’s degree and through the semester in which the 120th credit is attempted.

MORE INFO: Find detailed information about Course Fee Courtesy – including how to apply – on the HR website.

Have further questions about Educational Assistance or Course Fee Courtesy? Contact HR’s Organization and Professional Development department at prodev@hr.msu.edu, and we’ll be happy to assist.

Job of the Week – Communications Manager I

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This week’s job of the week is a Communications Manager I (#559535) for Lyman Briggs College. This position is seeking an individual to work collaboratively across the organization to develop content that conveys the college’s reputation and visibility on a national and international level.

The responsibilities for this role include developing communications plans to meet the needs of the college and using social media to drive support and engagement. Other responsibilities for this role include gathering support from alumni and donors through advocacy and managing media relations to cultivate, create and gain local media placement.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Journalism, Telecommunications, Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Professional Writing, or a related field; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in public and media relations; composing, editing and publication production; news, broadcasting, and print media; and/or marketing, advertising, and creative services; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Begin a tobacco and nicotine free lifestyle with the MSU Breathe Easy Program

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Have you struggled in the past trying to stop using tobacco and nicotine products? Have you heard about MSU Breathe Easy program? MSU Health4U created Breathe Easy, a free tobacco and nicotine cessation program.

As an MSU employee (or benefit-eligible dependent) who is currently using tobacco, begin your next step to quit with Breathe Easy. Breathe Easy offers fall and spring support sessions for employees and/or their benefit-eligible dependents looking to stop using tobacco or nicotine products. The next available session will begin Wednesday, Feb. 20 and will run every Wednesday until May 8. This program offers behavior support, medical evaluation and the choice of medication to quit. (You also have the option to quit without using medication.)

The project was very helpful to me. I have tried quitting on my own in the past and with various quit drugs. Time after time I went back. the difference with the program was I learned why I continued to smoke and what to do to improve my chances to quit for good. The program was instrumental in my understanding of the smoking cessation process.

You can register for the upcoming session at 517-353-2596 or by emailing health4u@msu.edu. Find more information on this program at MSU’s Health4U website or visit Linton Hall, Room 113.

Events Roundup – February

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Community Festivals 

Art & Craft Beer Fest

Michigan Nordic Fire Festival

Brrs, Beards, & Brews: A Lumberjack Festival

Community Events

Mid-Michigan Women’s Expo

Winter Farmer’s Market

Food

Saturday, February 9

Be Kind Rewind at Lansing Brewing Company

Wednesday, February 13

Live at Kingston Kitchen: Deacon Earl

Sunday, February 17

Cocktail Class

Wednesday, February 20

Spanish Wine Dinner

Arts

Wednesday, February 6

Capturing Stillness

Thursday, February 7

Educator Open House

Friday, February 9

Love in Nature

Tuesday, February 12

The Poetry Room Open Mic Night

Friday, February 15

Field Station: Johanna Unzueta Opening

Wednesday, February 20

Helina Metaferia Visiting Artist-in-Residence: Critical Race Studies Lecture

Wednesday, February 27

Bob Ross Night

Music


Tuesday, February 5

Symphony Band

Friday, February 8

Jazz Octets and Jazz Bassist Mimi Jones

Friday, Friday 8

TGIF Dance Party

Saturday, February 9

Diamonds in The Rust at Pump House Concerts

Tuesday, February 12

Sweetheart Dance

Saturday, February 16

Lansing Brewing Company Winter Warrior Party

Family/Kid Friendly

Saturday, February 9

Sensory Friendly Movies at NCG

Saturday, February 9

Children’s Concert 

Sunday, February 10

Darwin Discovery Day

Sunday, February 10

Family Series at the Library: Heartwarming Harp

Thursday, February 14

Chipmunk Story Time at Harris Nature Center

Saturday, February 16

Youth Ice Fishing Derby

Sunday, February 17

Engineering Day at Impression 5

Sports/Fitness

Saturday, February 9

Moonlight Ski and Shoe at the Harris Nature Center

Sunday, February 10

Broad Wellness: Yoga

Sunday, February 10

Old Town Chocolate Walk

Tuesday, February 12

Lansing Brew Run

Professional Development Opportunities:

Payments to Non-Resident Aliens and Foreign Vendors

Essentials of Employee Relations

Fundamentals of Supervision

Supervisor Strategies for Performance Planning

Everything DiSC: Behavior Styles at Work

Job of the Week – Executive Secretary II

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This week’s Job of the Week is an Executive Secretary II (#559066) to the James Madison College Assistant Dean. The college is seeing an individual to work as a resourceful liaison between the Dean, students and faculty and to serve as the initial contact and overall support person for the academic services office.

The responsibilities for this role include working directly with students and assisting with other academic support issues. The Executive Secretary will provide an efficient and timely flow of information to and between faculty, staff, students and alumni. Other responsibilities for this role include assisting faculty to obtain course descriptions, schedule changes and addressing other faculty concerns.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired through a high school education; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive university work experience in word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software; editing and composing correspondence, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Courses in February to Improve Workplace Communication

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Being able to communicate effectively with your co-workers is key to a successful and engaged workplace. When you can share your ideas openly and understand your co-workers’ views in return, you’re more likely to feel happier at work. Yet, oftentimes there are certain barriers that can make communication difficult, like personality or work style differences. If you have a better understanding of your own work and personality styles – and can identify different styles in others – you can start to bridge any gaps of misunderstanding and ultimately communicate more effectively.

We have a variety of courses available in February for MSU employees related to improving communication:

Everything DiSC: Behavior Styles at Work
Have you ever had a co-worker or boss who you could not even begin to understand? Even when you ask them questions, you’re still unsure what they need or want. Most of us have felt this way at one time or another. The course EverythingDiSC: Behavior Styles at Work is designed to help you understand yourself and other people better by giving you an understanding of different behavioral work styles.

Before the course, you will take a simple online assessment to learn your DiSC style, which is your unique work behavior style. During the class, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how your style relates to others and tools to help you connect better with co-workers whose priorities and preferences differ from yours.

Honing Your Emotional Intelligence
The essence of emotional intelligence (also known as EQ or EI) is our ability to identify and manage our own emotions and to identify emotions in others. In today’s high-stress, multi-tasking workplace, having a high EQ can lead to better stress management, stronger relationships with better communication and increased job satisfaction. The Honing Your Emotional Intelligence course will show you tools to master the principles found within EQ. Specifically, this course will focus on:

  • Why EQ is an essential competency in today’s work world.
  • How to fully engage the four fundamental areas of EQ: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
  • How to increase your EQ.
  • Why EQ has a direct impact on job satisfaction and performance excellence.

Thriving Through Change
Change is inevitable and being able to communicate effectively through change will help ease the transition process. This course will define what change is and help you understand the stages and reactions to change. Learn techniques and strategies to help you cope with stress and manage the process successfully.

Ready to Register?
To register, login to the EBS Portal and click on the My Career and Training tab, then the Courses for Employees at MSU tile. Find a complete list of available OPD courses on the HR website.

Job of the Week – RHS Planner/Inspector/Analyst

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This week’s job of the week is an RHS Planner/Inspector/Analyst #557966 for Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS) in the Planning and Projects Office. This position is seeking an individual to serve as a liaison between the department and Infrastructure Planning and Facilities (IPF) to oversee both capital and major projects, as well as day-to-day facilities projects.

The responsibilities for this role include handling day-to-day needs of IPF projects and managing installation schedules of flooring and products. Other responsibilities for this role include managing budgets, schedules, and coordinating the reduction of hazardous materials with Environmental Health and Safety (EHS).

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired in the first two or three years of college, technical or vocational school with an associate degree in Construction Management, Engineering or a related field; three to five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in construction, industrial design, project management; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Creating Professional or Personal Development Goals that Stick

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Did you make a New Year’s resolution? The start of a new year inspires people to make big changes to improve their lives. Unfortunately, that goal we set on January 1 can start to look pretty daunting a couple weeks later when the initial buzz of new year motivation wears off. It’s not uncommon for goals to be forgotten or abandoned. In fact, for those who make New Year’s resolutions, 80% fail to stick to their goal by February (Jantz, 2018). If you’re struggling to maintain your New Year’s resolution, don’t give up hope yet. This just means it’s time to recalibrate or redefine your goal, and we’ve got tips and tools to help.

Identify Why a Goal is Meaningful to You
At the start of a new year, people are inspired to commit to lofty goals they’ve previously never been able to achieve. Common goals include lose weight, save money, learn a new skill and find a new job (Economy, 2019). Unfortunately, that initial rush of inspiration is only temporary, which is why most end up losing interest after a couple weeks. Motivation alone cannot push you to achieve a goal, learn a new skill, or change a habit. And if your goal is too vague, you’re likely to forget about it come February.

When you’re curious about a goal, you must ask yourself why you want to achieve it – and then keep asking yourself why until you get to the root of why this goal is meaningful to you. Leadership and career coach Lisa Rogoff explains, “You’d be surprised at how many [goals] are grounded in values and purpose. And when you can surface that meaning and give it a voice, a simple goal shifts into a mission. With your why front and center, it’s almost impossible to turn your back and not go after it.” When you identify the personal value and meaning behind a goal you increase your likelihood of achieving it. Read Rogoff’s full article.

Get help identifying a meaningful professional development goal by visiting the Explore Your Learning Needs page or the Sample Goals for Different Roles page on the HR website.

Get SMART.
After you’ve identified your goal and why it’s meaningful to you, it’s time to make it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. The SMART method helps you make a detailed plan with clear objectives to achieve your goal. Learn more about SMART goals.

Be Accountable.
If you have a professional development goal, try sharing it with your supervisor or incorporating it into your Performance Excellence plan (for support staff). Check in with your supervisor periodically to make sure you’re hitting your objectives and making progress. If you’re not sure how to broach the subject, visit the Requesting and Accepting Feedback page for tips to start the conversation.

Stay Inspired with Resources on Campus.
As an MSU employee, you have a variety of resources available to help you create lasting change and achieve your goals:

  • Take a professional development course on one of the many subjects offered through Organization and Professional Development. For support or academic staff with 12 full-time service months, don’t forget you can use your Educational Assistance benefit for any fees.
  • Use the FREE online elevateU resources – books, videos, courses and more!
  • The WorkLife Office offers tons of resources and programs to help MSU employees navigate the workplace, their careers and life transitions.
  • The Academic Advancement Network provides programs, opportunities, and events for faculty, academic staff and academic administrators.
  • The MSU Health4U program offers health-related articles, cooking classes, coaching, and health/wellness events.
  • The MSU Library provides events and classes on a variety of interesting subjects to staff and faculty.

Economy, P. (2019, January 01). 10 Top New Year’s Resolutions for Success and Happiness in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/10-top-new-years-resolutions-for-success-happiness-in-2019.html

Jantz, D. G. (2018, January 03). This Year’s Resolution. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-years-resolution_us_5a4cff60e4b0d86c803c7b1b

Rogoff, L. (n.d.). The Best Goals Start With ‘Why’. Retrieved from https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/the-best-goals-start-with-why/

Job of the week – College Alumni Coordinator

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This week’s job of the week is a College Alumni Coordinator (#555848) for the College of Social Science. This position is seeking an individual to plan and lead academic engagement between students, faculty and alumni.

The responsibilities for this role include concentrating on alumni relations with a focus on engagement to build advocacy for the College of Social Science, networking with other departments and colleges on campus and raising funding to support the college. Other responsibilities for this role include planning all alumni relations and development focused events, facilitating engagement opportunities with alumni to speak with students about their Spartan story and providing them with mentoring.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Business, Communications Arts, Marketing or related field; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in higher education fundraising, event coordination, public speaking, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Cherelyn Dunlap Joins Human Resources to Fortify the MSU Approach for Employees with Disabilities

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cherelyn dunlap
Cherelyn Dunlap from the Office of Employee Relations, MSU HR.

MSU Human Resources is excited to introduce Cherelyn Dunlap, who joins our Office of Employee Relations (OER) team in a new role that will work closely with the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD). This new role was created to help streamline the process and experience for employees with disabilities who are seeking accommodations to help them perform their job duties.

The OER Director Rick Fanning is thrilled to have Cherelyn on board, “We are happy that Cherelyn has joined us in Employee Relations. She brings a great deal of knowledge and experience in the accommodation process, and I am sure that her work will be a valuable addition to MSU.”

Cherelyn’s considerable work experience includes 20 years as a Labor Relations Representative and Benefits Director for the Michigan Corrections Organization and an Employee Relations Specialist for the Auto Club Group (also known as AAA). Her extensive knowledge of benefits, insurances, FMLA, Workers’ Compensation, and retirement, in addition to managing accommodation requests, makes her well-equipped to take on this new role at the university.

Along with her knowledge and skillset, Cherelyn shows a genuine enthusiasm for impacting and improving someone’s work experience, which makes her a true asset to the MSU community.  “At an institution where inclusion is paramount, we must ensure that individuals with disabilities feel confident in knowing the university will strive to meet their needs. The RCPD has been diligent in providing this service thus far, and it is my desire to help find ways to continue, and improve, this important work moving forward,” says Cherelyn.

quote-cherelyn-dunlap

There are many different scenarios where an accommodation could improve an employee’s work experience. Cherelyn explains, “When we think of an individual with a disability, we think of someone with a physical disability we can see; however, there are many individuals working with disabilities we cannot see.” For example, a person who suffers from migraine headaches may complain that their condition is brought on by the glare from their computer screen. An accommodation could be to provide the employee with a screen overlay to diminish the glare from their computer.

Other accommodations could be more advanced. People who develop arthritis in their hands can have difficulty performing any job functions that require them to type and use a computer. Manipulating the computer keys and mouse exacerbates the individual’s arthritis. An accommodation could be to provide the employee with software which allows them to use talk to text. The software learns the various programs the employee utilizes, and the employee uses a headset or handheld microphone to speak the words that should go into the spreadsheet, report, email, etc.

Cherelyn is quick to point out that every employee is unique, and the accommodation recommended is entirely based on the individual’s needs and determined on a case-by-case basis. Cherelyn and the team of professionals at the RCPD are ready to assist employees with resources that create an environment of opportunity.

Michael Hudson, RCPD Director remarks, “Cherelyn arrives with extensive HR experience that will fortify inclusion efforts for people with disabilities in the workplace. RCPD will continue to welcome persons with disabilities with an ability-centered approach and innovative solutions while HR formalizes these into reasonable accommodations.” You can learn more about the RCPD in this recent MSUToday article.

What is the Process for Receiving an Accommodation?

If you believe you have a condition that could be improved by an accommodation, the following steps will help guide you through the process:

  1. You should register with the RCPD and make a written request for an accommodation. You must also provide the RCPD with medical documentation of the disability.
  2. The RCPD then determines whether you have a qualifying disability, as defined by the law and the university policy.
  3. After the RCPD has determined the condition qualifies as a disability, Cherelyn will begin consulting with RCPD on the case and promptly begin the accommodation process.

MSU HR and RCPD are thrilled to have Cherelyn join the Employee Relations team and are looking forward to her contributions to MSU!

Questions? Please visit the RCPD website to learn more about how employees with disabilities can find assistance at MSU or to register your own disability with the RCPD.